Thill-coupling.



No. 722,401. I PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903. J. CUMMINGS.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIQE.

TO ALFRED D. RATHBONE, JR.,

OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,401, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed June 2. 1902.

T0 at whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the count-y of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thin-Couplings; and'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings; and its object is to provide a simple and reliable device that can be cheaply made, that will not wear, become loose, andrattle, that can be readily attached to the ordinary clip portions of the couplings commonly used, and to provide the device with certain new and useful features, hereinafter'more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention consists, essentially, in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a device embodying my invention, taken on the. line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan View of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the thill-iron and hook, and Fig 5 is a perspeciive detail of the clamp.

Like letters refer to like parts in figures.

A represents the rear end of the thill proper; B, the usual coupling-bolt.

C is the thill-ron extending along the under side of the thill and secured thereto in the usual way. At the lower end this thill-iron is rearwardly extended and thickened, as at shot the D, and abuts against the end of the thillA' and extends rearwardly therefrom in an upwardly-curved semicircular portion, forming a hook E, adapted to engage the bolt B and of such radius as to permit of the'insertion of a sleeve G, surrounding the bolt B and preferably of rubber or other elastic material. This book E is extended'downward at the end and detachably connected with the end of the clamp H, preferably by means of a dovetail tenon I, inserted in the corresponding downwardly-open recess F. This clamp is bent Serial No. 109,933. (No model.)

upward at the forward end, forming an inclined end J, adapted to engage'theinclined forward surface of the iron 0. This clamp is held in place by a'thumb-screw K, passing through an open'ing'in the clamp and into a threaded openingin the portion D of the thilliron. Said-screw is also provided with aslot L, in which a strap maybe'inserted to secure the screw from becoming loosened. This clamp engages the under side of the sleeve G, and by tightening the screw K the sleeve is compressed between the clamp and the hook and at the same time the hook is securely held from straightening out or breaking. The inclined portion J forces the clamp forward, and thus puts a forward strain on the end of the hook and firmly supports the same. Thus every part is tightly held from becoming loosened or rattling as it becomes worn. When the sleeve G becomes worn, it can readily be replaced with a new one by removing the bolt' B.

To detach the device, it is only necessary to slacken the screw A sufficiently to lower the clamp H clear of the recesses-in the end of the hook E, The clamp will then. turn with the screw and be out of the way, so that the hook can be lifted outof engagement with the sleeve and bolt without raising the forward end of the thills from the ground or wholly detaching any of the parts. It can be replaced in like manner without the necessity of using tools of any kind.

.It will also be observed-that the construction is such that it is cheaply and readily forged and consists of but few parts, having no hinges or other expensive features.

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupling, a thill-iron attached to the thill and terminating in a hook adapted to engage the coupling-bolt, and havinga downwardly-open recess in its end, a clamp having one end inserted in said recess and freely detachable therefrom by a vertical movement only, and a screw extending through the clamp and engaging a screwthreaded opening in the thill-iron, whereby the clamp may be detached from the hook and turned about the axis of the screw without detaching the screw from the thill-iron.

2. In a thill-coupling,a hook attached to the thill and adapted to engage the coupling-bolt, and having a downwardly-open recess in its end, a clamp detachably engaging the recess at one end, and having the other end inclined upward and forward, and engaging an incline or thill-iron and means for securing the clamp to the thill-iron.'

3. In a thill-coupling, ahook attached to the thill and adapted to engage the couplingbolt and having a downwardly-open dovetail recess in its open end, a clamp having a dovetail tenon at one end to engage the recess, and a screw connecting the clamp to the hook.

4. The combination of a thill-iron attached to the under side of the thill and extending opposite the end of the thill and thence extended rearward and downward forming a hook to engage the couplingbolt, a downwardly-open recess in the end of the hook, a clamp having one end adapted to detachably engage the recess and the other end inclined to engage the forward side of the thill-iron, and a bolt to attach the clamp to the thill-iron.

5. In a thill-coupling, a thill-iron attached to the thill and having a thickened portion opposite the end of the thill, a hook portion extended rearward therefrom and adapted to engage the coup1ing-bo1t,a clamp detachably connected to the hook at its rear end and having an inclined forward end engaging the thill-iron, and a screw extending through the clamp and engaging a threaded opening in the thickened portion of the thill-iron.

6. In a thill-coupling, a thill-iron attached to the thill and having an inclined forward surface and also having an enlarged portion opposite the end of the thill and a rearwardlyextending hook adapted to engage the coup ling-bolt, a clamp detachably connected to the end of the hook by a dovetail tenon and recess and extending forward beneath the thickened portion of the thill-iron and having an upwardly-bent inclined forward end engaging the forward surface of the thill-iron and a screw extending through the clamp and engaging a threaded opening in the enlarged portion of the thill-iron.

7. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a thill-iron having an inclined forward side, a thick portion opposite the end of the thill, a coupling-bolt surrounded by an elastic sleeve, a hook on the thill-iron adapted to engage the sleeve, and having a dovetail recess in its end, a clamp having a dovetail tenon at one end to engage the recess, and an upwardlybent inclined end to engage the inclined forward side of the thill-iron,and intermediately engaging the sleeve, and a thumb-screw passing through the clamp and inserted in a screw-threaded opening in the thickened portion of the thill-iron.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MOULTON, J ENNIE M. SLOANE. 

